The Unforgettable Journey of Lakers Owner Jerry Buss After Season 2 Victory

Summary

Under the ownership of Jerry Buss, the Lakers underwent a remarkable transformation, emerging as an indomitable force in the NBA. Since his acquisition of the team in 1979, they have clinched an impressive 10 NBA Championships, cementing their status as one of the most revered teams in the annals of sports history.

Besides being a successful sports owner, Buss gained recognition as a prominent high-stakes poker player who made appearances on popular poker television shows. Buss led a complex personal life, experiencing multiple marriages and fathering seven children. Following his passing in 2013, his daughter Jeanie Buss assumed the role of controlling owner and president of the Lakers.

HBO's series "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" recounts the remarkable journey of Jerry Buss, who transformed the Lakers into a dominant force in the world of sports. Prior to his role as a key figure in the iconic Showtime Lakers of the 1980s, Buss earned an MD and Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Southern California in 1957. After working as a chemist for several years, he joined USC's chemistry staff and ventured into lucrative real estate investments. By the 1970s, Buss had created a thriving real estate empire in Los Angeles, accumulating substantial wealth that he would later use to acquire the Lakers in 1979.

In episode 7 of season 2, "Winning Time" unveils the inception of the Showtime Lakers dynasty, a remarkable feat accomplished by Buss within just five years. Highlighted in the first season, Buss successfully revitalized a lethargic Lakers team that had not reached an NBA Finals since 1973, transforming them into formidable contenders in the Western Conference. In his inaugural year as Lakers owner, Buss led the team to their seventh NBA Title in franchise history. His astute acquisition of the Lakers and The Forum in 1979 for $67.5 million would ultimately establish one of the most valuable franchises across all sporting disciplines. As of 2022, the Los Angeles Lakers are valued at nearly $6.5 billion.

Jerry Buss Won 10 NBA Championships As The Lakers' Owner

Buss, the former owner of the Lakers for 34 years, led the team to an impressive 10 NBA Championships, solidifying their status as one of the greatest teams in both the NBA and professional sports in general. The Lakers and Celtics currently share the record for the most NBA Championships, with each team having won 17 titles, a remarkable feat that far exceeds the 7 NBA Titles achieved by the Golden State Warriors, the franchise with the next highest number of championships. Throughout Buss' ownership, the Lakers made appearances in 16 NBA Championships, largely under the leadership of coaches Pat Riley and Phil Jackson.

Before this successful tenure with the Lakers, Buss held a controlling interest in the NHL's Los Angeles Kings before ultimately selling the team's rights in 1988. In 1996, Buss took over another prominent Los Angeles franchise, the WNBA's LA Sparks. While the Lakers, Sparks, and Kings relocated to the Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center, Buss sold The Forum in 1999. Buss officially owned the Sparks for a period of time, earning back-to-back WNBA Championships in 2001 and 2002, before eventually selling the team in 2006. Notably, the Lakers also achieved a remarkable three-peat of back-to-back-to-back NBA Titles from 2000 to 2002.

Jerry Buss Was A Prominent Professional High-Stakes Poker Player

Jerry Buss Had Seven Children Before He Died In 2013 At Age 80

In addition to his achievements in leading the Lakers and various professional sports teams, Buss was widely recognized for his prowess in high-stakes poker. He secured an impressive third place finish at the prestigious 1991 World Series of Poker and earned a remarkable second place overall in the 2003 World Poker Tour Freeroll Invitational. Buss showcased his skills on renowned poker television programs such as GSN's High Stakes Poker and NBC's Poker After Dark. Through his professional poker endeavors, Jerry accumulated approximately $172,000 in live earnings. Although Buss did not attain the same level of success in poker as he did in other domains, it remained one of his cherished hobbies in which he displayed considerable skill.

Jerry Buss and JoAnn Mueller were married from 1952 to 1972, when they legally separated after twenty years together. During their marriage, Jerry and JoAnn had seven children, with five of them, Jim, Johnny, and Jeanie, appearing on HBO's Winning Time. Jeanie went on to become the Lakers dynasty's true successor by assuming the roles of controlling owner and president after Jerry passed away on February 18th, 2023, from kidney failure, just a few weeks after celebrating his 80th birthday. Shortly after Lee, their eldest child, was born in 1953, he was placed for adoption.

Buss married Veronica Hoff in 1972, while reportedly still being married to Mueller. Later, Buss had two more children with Karen Demel, named Joey and Jesse, in 1985 and 1988 respectively. In 1990, a woman nicknamed Puppi Buss filed a palimony suit against Jerry, asserting that he was the father of her child. The outcome of this allegation remained undisclosed, as a settlement was reached. At the time of his death, all but one of Buss' seven children held positions within the Lakers organization. Ultimately, as portrayed in the conclusion of Winning Time season 2, Jeanie Buss obtained control of the Lakers' franchise. In 2020, she made history by becoming the first female controlling owner to win an NBA Championship.